The Bio Revolution: Innovations transforming economies, societies, and our lives economies, societies, our and transforming Innovations Revolution: Bio The The Bio Revolution Innovations transforming economies, societies, and our lives May 2020 McKinsey Global Institute Since its founding in 1990, the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) has sought to develop a deeper understanding of the evolving global economy. As the business and economics research arm of McKinsey & Company, MGI aims to help leaders in the commercial, public, and social sectors understand trends and forces shaping the global economy. MGI research combines the disciplines of economics and management, employing the analytical tools of economics with the insights of business leaders. Our “micro-to-macro” methodology examines microeconomic industry trends to better understand the broad macroeconomic forces affecting business strategy and public policy. 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This report was not commissioned or paid for by any business, government, or other institution, and it is not intended to promote the interests of McKinsey’s clients. For further information about MGI and to download reports, please visit www.mckinsey.com/mgi. The Bio Revolution Innovations transforming economies, societies, and our lives May 2020 Authors Michael Chui, San Francisco Matthias Evers, Hamburg James Manyika, San Francisco Alice Zheng, San Francisco Travers Nisbet, San Francisco Preface Advances in biological sciences, the global economy, that focused benefits and trade-offs of these combined with the accelerating on biology as one of the arenas. Our technologies given that they come with development of computing, data 2017 report on automation, A future profound and unique risks. processing, and artificial intelligence that works: Automation, employment, (AI), are fueling a new wave of and productivity, highlighted The research was led by Michael Chui, innovation that could have significant the productivity potential of fast- MGI partner in San Francisco; impact in sectors across the economy, evolving technologies but also looked at Matthias Evers, a McKinsey senior from healthcare and agriculture to the technical and nontechnical factors partner based in Hamburg and consumer goods and energy. that would determine the pace and McKinsey’s global leader of R&D in extent of adoption. That same year, pharmaceuticals and medical products; This report describes the potential we published Artificial intelligence: and James Manyika, McKinsey senior scope and scale of this wave of The next digital frontier?, which partner and co-chair of MGI. The work innovation and highlights the profound examined how AI will unleash the next was also guided by Sven Smit, who also risks that will need to be managed. We wave of digital disruption and what co-chairs MGI, and Jonathan Woetzel, conclude with a look at the potential companies should do to prepare MGI director in Shanghai. Alice Zheng implications for a range of stakeholders. for it. McKinsey has also published and Travers Nisbet led the project The research began in early 2019, many reports on healthcare topics, including team, which comprised Tom Colocci, months before the novel coronavirus The big-data revolution in US health Kevin Hwang, Maliha Khan, SARS-CoV-2 causing the COVID-19 care: Accelerating value and innovation Archana Maganti, Morgan Paull, infection appeared and triggered in 2013. In 2020, MGI plans to Anneke Maxi Pethö-Schramm, and a global pandemic in the first quarter of publish a major report on health and Donna Xia. We thank Chloe Rivera 2020. The early response to COVID-19 economic growth. and George Wang for leading illustrated the substantial advances in the exploratory phase. We are biological science in just the past few We owe a great deal to the wealth grateful for the support of, and close years. The speed with which scientists of academic and technical research collaboration with, Jaana Remes, sequenced the virus’s genome—weeks into the many aspects of this wave Aditi Ramdorai, and Thilo Rattay on rather than months—bore witness to of innovation. Building on MGI’s MGI research on global health issues. the new world of biology we describe expertise in analyzing the economic We also appreciated the opportunity in this report. Sequencing is just implications of major global trends, to collaborate with Tim Dickson and the start: bio innovations are enabling we surveyed the scientific advances Astrid Sandoval of McKinsey Quarterly the rapid introduction of clinical trials and explored nearly 400 use cases, and with Felix Rölkens, Shrina Poojara, of vaccines, the search for effective drawing out the implications for and Marilena Schmich of McKinsey’s therapies, and a deep investigation of businesses, economies, and broader The state of fashion 2020 report. both the origins and the transmission society. This research builds on patterns of the virus. While this report previous MGI work on different types We give special thanks to many does not explore the relevance of of disruptive technology, including big external experts who informed ongoing bio innovation to tackling data, the Internet of Things, and, most aspects of our research with their COVID-19 in depth, we do believe that recently, automation and AI. The project expertise and insights, including the pandemic makes this research even team worked closely with an MGI team Russ B. Altman, Kenneth Fong more acutely relevant. researching global health issues in Professor of Bioengineering, collaboration with McKinsey experts in Genetics, Medicine, Biomedical Data The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) public health and healthcare systems, Science and (by courtesy) Computer has an active research program and pharmaceuticals and medical Science at Stanford University; focused on research on technologies products. We hope that this report Eric Bartels, global head of biological and their impact on business, contributes to a better understanding research and development, Indigo; the economy, and society, including of the applications, potential, and risks Sebastian A. Brunemeier, chief in digital technology, AI, and biology. of the advances in biological sciences investment officer and co-founder, In May 2013, we published a report, and provokes further discussion among Cambrian Biopharma Ventures; Disruptive technologies: Advances business leaders, policy makers, civil Jonah Cool, science program that will transform life, business, and society, and the public on the potential officer, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative; ii Kartik Dharmadhikari, principal, Novo We are grateful to many McKinsey and This report was edited by MGI Growth; Jennifer A. Doudna, Howard MGI colleagues around the world who senior editor Janet Bush. We thank Hughes Medical Institute Investigator offered valuable insights, including members of MGI’s operations team and Li Ka Shing Chancellor’s Chair Guttorm Aase, Ankur Agrawal, for their support, namely editorial in Biomedical and Health Sciences, Justin Ahmed, Daniel Aminetzah, director Peter Gumbel; editorial and professor of biochemistry, Daniel Anger, Jacob Aptekar, production manager Julie Philpot; biophysics, and structural biology at Tucker Bailey, Jordan Bar Am, graphic designers Marisa Carder the University of California, Berkeley; Sanjiv Baxi, Dirk Blum, Sara Boettiger, and Patrick White; Dennis Alexander, Tyler Ellis, founder and principal, Tom Brennan, Shane Bryan, Nienke Beuwer, and Rebeca Robboy Black Hills Partners; Reinhold Ewald, Shaun Callaghan, Vishwa Chandra, in MGI’s external relations team; professor for astronautics and space Josef Christensen, Julien Claes, digital editor Lauren Meling; research stations at the University